Disney+ to show live Champions League matches for first time as mega deal announced

Disney+ has bought the rights to show live men's Champions League matches for the first time. The streaming giant has been named as the preferred bidder in TV markets across the world . UEFA's commercial arm has conducted a bidding process for Champions League rights for the 2027-31 cycle in Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Central America, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Mexico, Norway, Poland, Portugal, the Republic of Ireland, Romania, Slovakia, South America, Sweden and Switzerland. It was announced on Thursday that Disney+, the paid subscription streaming service owned by The Walt Disney Company, had been successful in bidding for rights in Brazil, Central America, Mexico and South America, as well as Denmark and Sweden. The news comes following an announcement in November that another streaming company, Paramount+, had won the rights in the UK and Germany for 2027 to 2031. The announcements show a clear shift away from traditional broadcasters towards streaming giants. JOIN US ON FACEBOOK! Latest news, analysis and much more on Mirror Football's Facebook page UEFA said it had run a "highly competitive tender process that generated strong interest from a broad range of media organisations". The organisation also noted that the "evolution is being driven by the continued growth of global, digital-first platforms". It is expected that the total value of UEFA's TV rights will exceed €5billion (£4.3bn) a year when the current round of tenders are completed. The processes are overseen by UC3, the joint venture between UEFA, lobby group European Football Clubs and commercial rights distributor Relevent Football Partners. Disney already owns the rights to the Women's Champions League across Europe until 2030 and to the Europa League and Conference League in Sweden and Denmark. It also shows Spanish cup competition the Copa del Rey across Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland, as well as German cup competition DFB-Pokal in Sweden, Denmark and Finland. A wide range of companies have secured rights across the 19 markets that were up for tender, including Sky, DAZN, Warner Bros Discovery, Canal+, Paramount+, Premier Sports and Viaplay. “UEFA club football brings some of the most exciting nights in sport - the midweek games, the knockout ties, the energy around the biggest fixtures - moments that stay with you long after the final whistle," said Karl Holmes, general manager of Disney+ EMEA. "We're particularly proud to bring our customers in Sweden the UEFA Champions League men's and women's competitions for the first time ever - alongside the renewal of UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League across Sweden and Denmark. "As we continue to grow our sports offering in Europe, fans can enjoy the biggest football nights across the UEFA Champions League men's and women's competitions, alongside the stories they already love on Disney+”. Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.